Hi

I posted on this on the Asian sub-section, but thought I'd open up the discussion.

I'm flying with 3 friends into Pokhara next April and will have 6 days of riding on 250cc dirt bikes. We plan on riding up to the Thorung La pass and would love to explore the area's trails further. We've also considered doing the other half of the circuit by riding to Manang.

Ideally we'd like to dip our toes into Upper Mustang, but don't want to spend $500 each for a brief foray. Is there any way to allow a day or 2 riding without having to pay for the full cost of the pass?

So, for good riding and epic mountain scenery, where would you suggest?

Thanks

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expro.smugmug.com

I'm interested in this also as planning something very similar.

From what I have found so far there is no way around the USD550.00 permit for Upper Mustang no matter how few days you plan on being there (as well as the other permits you would need which are the same as if you were trekking).

That said..I would be very happy to be proven wrong so will be watching this thread with interest.

The hearts and tears guys have a tour that runs through Upper Mustang and they include the cost of the permit...but at USD$5k for 2 weeks its too rich for my blood.


Sent from my SM-N910G using Tapatalk

That's what I thought - we'll see how we get on, but are perusing some excellent maps in the meantime. They can be found here:-http://pahar.in/nepal-topo-maps/

For the area around Muktinath:-

http://pahar.in/pahar/Maps--Primary/...0Muktinath.jpg

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expro.smugmug.com

I rented a bike from Bikemandu in Kathmandu and was very happy. I know they also do tours, might be worth a look??

Motorbike Rental Kathmandu

There are also many hire shops around KTM where you can get a good deal,

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Regards Tim

Learning my craft for the big stuff, it won't be long now and it's not that far anyway

Thanks, but our bikes are already organised. We're keen to be self-guided, but tips on spots not to miss and routes to explore would be hugely welcome!

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expro.smugmug.com

Did you end up doing this trip through upper mustang? Im looking to do something similar in about 2 weeks and keen to find out where the best places are to refuel, best guesthouses, and hiow easy the roads/tracks are to find using google maps

Hi there,

I have been riding Nepal and in particular West Nepal (Mustang / Upper Mustang / Annapurna Region / Pokaraha to Jomsom) extensively over the past few years; the last time 3 month ago.

The permission fee of 500 USD / person for 10 days (every additional day post 10 days will be charged extra) is mainly used to support the community and region of Upper Mustang - at least that's how it should be.

With elevation rising from 827 meters above mean sea level in Pokarah up to 3710 meters a.m.s.l in Muktinath you will have to pay close attention to your acclimatization (which is advisable post 2500 meters a.m.s.l). Hence jamming it into a 6 day trip does not only not make any sense but also is a potential health hazard and one to be taken seriously. Altitude sickness is seriously no joke if it gets out of hand and if one doesn't know how to attend to it.

If you are after experiencing the riding in the area, Mustang offers equally good tracks , single tracks and mountain "roads". The landscape is very similar to Upper Mustang and people are used to tourists to a certain extend. In all the years riding in this area we have not once had a bad experience.

I would strongly suggest to look at riding from Pokarah up into the area around Jomsom ; this should take you a full day. Stay at a nice B&B there. One that I can strongly recommend is the Dutch Bakery (run by Patrick / Dutch and Purna / Nepali) which is around 20 min from Jomsom and is a lot less "tourist". From there you can ride out in the morning and explore the area. Have a look at Titi Lake and ride up to Kagbeni. The landscape is stunning and the ride is epic fun.

If you really want to spend the 500 USD permit for Upper Mustang you should at least have 10 days in Upper Mustang (which means you need to add at least 3 days at the start of the trip and 2 at the end). It's amazing up there and surely one of the best remote areas to ride in. Mustang though doesn't fall much short of that as well.

Hope that gives you some insight.